How to Repair a McLane Mower Carburetor

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Things You'll Need

  • Dish

  • Socket wrench

  • Cloth

  • Carburetor cleaning solution

A well-performing carburetor is key to your mower's grass-cutting ability.

Most McLane mowers utilize Briggs & Stratton small engines, a popular engine choice for many manufacturers of both push and riding lawn mowers. The Briggs & Stratton engine's carburetor is crucial to the performance of your McLane mower, specifically through its ability to govern the air and fuel intake into the engine as it runs. A malfunctioning carburetor may need to be cleaned or adjusted in order to restore proper performance to your mower. You can repair your McLane mower's carburetor irrespective of your knowledge of small engine parts.

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Step 1

Turn on your McLane mower. Leave it running as you begin to examine the engine. If you have a riding lawn mower, you will need to open the front hood to access the engine.

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Step 2

Find the carburetor bowl on the left side of the McLane's Briggs & Stratton engine. It will feature a striking, hard-to-miss bowl-shaped design.

Step 3

Locate the carburetor needle valve near the bottom of the McLane mower's carburetor bowl if your mower is making sputtering sounds and the engine tends to wind out while in use. Turn this valve all the way to the right as your engine runs.

Step 4

Turn the McLane mower's needle valve one-half turn back to the left as your mower continues to run. Stop and listen to any change in how the engine runs. If the sputtering and whining sounds stop, your adjustments are complete.

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Step 5

Continue to gradually turn the needle valve back to the left, listening for any engine improvements after each adjustment. Continue making these adjustments until the sputtering stops or until you have turned the needle valve all the way back to the left.

Step 6

Turn off the engine, let it cool, and remove the spark plug wire if the sputtering did not stop when you adjusted the needle valveb or if the engine was incapable of running as you attempted to adjust the valve. Open up the McLane mower's carburetor bowl for cleaning. Begin by placing a dish under the carburetor bowl.

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Step 7

Remove the nut on the underside of the McLane mower's carburetor bowl by loosening it with a socket wrench. Fuel and excess liquids will immediately begin draining out into the dish. Wait until this finishes.

Step 8

Unscrew the carburetor bowl with your hands now that the nut has been removed. Clean out the inside of the McLane mower's bowl with carburetor-cleaning solution and a cloth. Ensure no buildup or liquid is left behind inside the bowl.

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Step 9

Screw the bowl back into place, then tighten the nut back into the bowl's underside with your wrench.

Step 10

Replace the spark plug wire and attempt to run your McLane mower. It should run smoothly. If sputtering continues, readjust the needle valve as before now that the bowl has been cleaned out. Make adjustments until the engine sputtering ceases.

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